Split pin box for sorting-machines.



l. POWERS.

SPLIT PIN BOX FOR SORTINGMACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED N28. 1916.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

s SHEETS-SHEET I.

Witnesses.-

J. POWERS.

SPLIT PIN BOX FOR SORTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED mus. ms.

1,236,482. Patented Aug. 14, 1017.

5 SHEETS--SHEED 2.

zm Jame Powenq By/u's/Hij/ J. POWERS.

SPLIT PIN BOX FOR SORTING MACHINES APPLICATION FILED IAN-25.19M-

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

In ventor James Powens;

By/us Atty.-

'Mine'sses:

l. POWERS.

SPLIT PIN BOX FOR SORTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED mun. 1916.

1,236,482 Patented Aug. 1?}, 1.917

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4 i N n I; \w u k &. k nnmu unnnnnnn O I n a watnesses' I nventor.

Jam 65 Powers.

I. POWE::S. SPLIT PIN aox m SORIING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-2U. l9l6.

Patented Aug. 14, 191? BSHEETS-SHEET 5 Inventor James Powem Nttnessqs:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES POWERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.. ASSIGNOR TO POWERS ACCOUNTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SILIT PIN BOX FOB. SORTING-MACHINES.

1 23 482 Specification oi Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application Med January 28, 1916. Serial No. 74,797.

Tu all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J AMES Poweas, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Split Pin Boxes for Sorting-ltlachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanically actuated and controlled apparatus or me.- chines for coiiperating with a 'plurality of record containing articles, such, for instance, as perforated cards, or a series of sets of perforations on a web, whereby suitable defleeting means, that are arran ed in a path along which the cards are at vanced after they are engaged at the controlling means, are set, so that the cards will be caused to pass into different compartments and sorted according to the different perforations in the ards.

One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide an improved form of feeding means for the cards, into and from the said controlling means whereby the cards will be fed into the machine so that when they are discharged from the machine they will be arranged in an order corresponding to the order of the same before having ieen fed into the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of pin-box or controllin means, that cooperates with the perforatu cardsv in a fixed predetermined position of the cards, the pin-box being shiftahle to engage different sections of the card in the said position, which will cause each of the said pin members to cooperate with the said deflector or counter inits several shifted positions, and which pin-box furthermore may be so regulated that only a certain item that is common to a number of the perforated cards may be sorted to the entire exclusion of any other items that may be common to such cards.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the suhjoined detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the nccompanyin drawings in which Figure l is an e vation of the machine equipped with the present improvements.

. Fig. 2 is a f ra e'ntal viewbeing a longitudinal section 0 the figure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental view shown partly in section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental view in section.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate successive positions of an analyzer pin.

Fig. 8 is a perspective illustrating the means for locking an analyzer pin in idle or inoperative position.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of an analyzer pin detached.

Fig. 10 is an elevation, parts broken away, to illustrate the side of the carriage on which the analyzer pins are mounted, this view showing the carriage disengaged ready to be shifted to another position; and Fig. 11 is a fragmental sectional view of the same, in which one anal zer pin is illustrated.

Fig. 12 is a re mental plan showing the plate by means 0 which the analyzer pins will be retracted after having been carried downward.

Fig. 13 is an elevation, arts being broken away, to illustrate the si es of the carriage on which the analyzer pins are mounted, this view showing the carriage engaged ready for a sorting operation; and Fig. 1-! is a fra ental sectional view ofthe same in .which one anal zer pin is illustrated.

Fig. v15 is a ragmental plan showing the eral walls 5 of the in-box 4 rods 6 are secured which pass t rough guideways 7 secured on the sides of the frame 1, the rods being cushioned by springs 8, and the lower ends of which rods 6 are provided with cam.

rollers 9 in engagement with the cams 9 (Fig. 4) fixed to the shaft 11 suitably journaled in the lower part ofthe frame 1.

Just below the pin-box 4, there are fixed in said frame 1, two plates 12, 13 provided withalined perforations so as to register with the pins 14 of the pin-box 4, the plates 12, 13 being spaced from one another a distance sufiicint to perniitr-the assage of a reeordeard C between-them. etween and to the walls 5 of the pin-box 4 there are secured two transversely disposed bars 15, 15

25 sccuringrplates is a stem 26 )rojectin; up

so that: its

5 ncctcd to one another h the plates 19, the

retracting plate 17 extending ahovc the hunt 1 and the plate 18 hclmv the ham l5 and the two plates 17 and IN each having a single row of perforations in ulinemeut with one another in which arcedidahly Inonnlrd 1 I the pins 14, each having a disk iuclnhcr 2') disposed hctwecu the plates it and 18. illtirccn each of whi h disk llllllllltl'a i l and I lhc plate 17 there is strained a spring ii to normally exercise a downward prcssnre on the pins l4. Disposed on each of the coils of the upper plate 17 there is prov dml a securing plate 22 havinga rcccss l'aclnp inwardly and forming a. slot with the plate 17 in which two slots, the locking plate 23 is rcciprocahly mounted having fingers .H :dongits intermediate portion 25 to engage hetwcen the several pins 14 when the pinhox 4 is depressed. Secured by each of the throughthe transverse plate 2 and having a spring,28' strained between the securing plate 22zandthe plate 27'to normallv maintain the plate 27 in'raised position. 0 each of the upperprotruding'portions of the stems 26 there is pivoted a cam lever 2!) by means ofwhich the plate 27 may-he de- )rcssed against the tension of the spring 28.

he plate-Q'Thas -a. downwardly extending.

-portion:30;at'each of its ends the lower end of .which:is serratedto-engage in the scrra-- tions formed on a bar 31,0ne secured to each of the-hars"15,'.hy means of which engagement,.the-pin'carriage lti'may'be positioned, ins i kwill rcgisterwitlr ILI'OW, of 'perfiiratlons in the plate-12,the pins H extendingl'upwardlye t rough the plate 27" :md-eachzhavingh:liead 32 disposed between the plate 277\nd. the-plate- 17',' the plate l7 '5 rheinggprovided 'withl-cupped-recesses 33Qto receive the heads 320i the ins-l-twhenthe pins ---14- a re -d isposed in; their extended posi tions, the heads 32;havingconical 'periph cries so as. to facilitate seatingthem in the: I

'ncctedthe-arm; 35 of'ir hell' crank; lever-36;.

The hell cranl c-levers'fitfare each-fixed to a" shaft tiifTjcmrnaledlliri= the bars 19,;rone' of:

vhichilevers 36 has an'ar1n38 extendin t0 wa rd the-z platev 23;. at th'eextreme cm L of" i (so =.;\\-l l ich Ltli'cre is pivotal! y; connected i :12 stem 39 havi ng; in am i40-atiits lower end; which; is 1 disposed to travel-1i; ins the cllannellf of Ethe: channel -'ironi-tlfseciirtah totherfilatc liim box 4 descends in a cycle of o ieration. (see Fig. 3) the hcll crank it? u'ovldcd with the .atcin 39 will he rm-kcd hv lacuna of the hnft 37 which rocks the othcr hcll crank lever 36 and lhcwhy draws the lm-l in; platc 23 so that its lingers .H will cngugc lmtwccn the rim ll. Thus. as shown in Fig.5. thc hea lsx82 of thc'p'uh H which (in not liud a pcrfqnltion in'thc card hciag .sulltll will he isposed uhmc the date .53 and th hcad l! of that pin which has found a lwrl'oration will he seated in its n-ccss 33. and below lluplatc 'ztlhcing locked in its scat so lhat upon further dcscent of the pin-hox l. the plat:- 113 will exercise a lhsilive downward mowment on t-llc cxtcmled pin ll thcrclrv to a tuatc a deflector actuator as hcrcinal'tcr to he 'deserihcd.

Mounted on the plate 27 and adjacent to the path of movement of the pins ll thcrc i.-' provided a hlock 42 (Fig. 8) provided witha recess 43 formed in its upper cdgc in position to receive the lugs 44 secured to thepins 14 when such pins are properly turned. The pins 14 are provided with such lugs 44 which are substantially heads similar to the hcads 32 but having two of their opposite sides cut off' so as to permit the passage of the pins 14 when they are turned so that their cut off sides are parallel to the block 42. T hisrarrangcnurnt of the lugs 44 and the block 42 performs one of the main features of the present invention. By this means, any of the pins 14 which ib may be desired not to use, may be locked in idle or inoperative osition s02 that when the pin-hox 4 descent s to sort'a card, and each card isonly provided with data. corresponding to the idle pin, there will be no sorting. Thus likewise it may be .desired to'sort only-the cards having one particularitem,- in' whichjcase all of the pins willbe locked in ino crative' osition except the pin: corrcspon ing to t e item desired to'he sorted and thereby no othercards will be sorted.. v

{The pins 14 are further heads 45- at. theirextreme upper ends=by lated.'.. I Another important feature of; the present invention is the gmeansfor feedingthe cards .to-the plates 12,l-,and,13. For. fthis purpose two brackets-M w are, properly secured to the frame 1 1 between i nfhiclral magazine 47 is-secured 0 on at top and-'lmttom and also its outer Sit e'.'.- The side walls 48,483 of. the

magazine47'are each provided with everticallv; extendingarelotdflhaving an out wardly fe'xtendingportion-50 at its lower end} in wh ch .-:lots .49, the ends of a; cross. bar-.5] are shdahly nounted which '-,eross char: extends'lthroughgo spider 52 onJvhich rncansvof whieh' thepins may. he manipnprovided with i which channellthe-foot 40travelsi whens'the mspidetrs 52', is. supported; a .platform 53.'.-

rpimcarriagemfisshifted; aa enatas ing ofij snhstantialI-y the sa ne width as amaze magazine 47 and having one of its edges disposed directly adjacent to the wall 71 of the magazine 47. ()n this platform are placed the cards which are to be fed between the plates 12 and 13. For sup ortrn the platform. the rod 54 is provide who is fixed to the spider 52 and is normally maintained in raised position by means of the spring 55 which is fastened to the rod M at its lower end and to the end of a bracket 56 at its it )per end, the bracket 56 being secured to tie side of the frame 1. The arrangement is such that the spring 55 will maintain the uppermost card of those sup orted on the platform 53 in position to be ed to the plates 12 anddfil. Furthermore, the spring 55 will be so tensed that, after over removal of its uppermost card, it will raise the platform 53 the required distance to position the next succeeding uppcrmost card into feeding position. The rod 54 is provided with a. handle 57 by means of which the platform 53 may be lowered to receive a fresh supply of cards, or for purposes of repair or the like.

'lhe magazine 47 is provided with a cover 58 which has a" slot 59 in each of its'side walls through which extend the arms 60 of the reciprocating plate 61 which slides in said cover 58 and is provided with a picker plate (32 on its lower surface extending into the magazine 47, in the path of movement of which picker late (32, the up ermost card of the )ack isposed on the p atfc-rm 53 is'located so that the pickerpla'te 62 when moving toward. the p ates 12 and 13 with the reciprocating plate 61 will engage such uppprmost card and feed it between the plates 12 and13. For actuating the reciprocattng plate (31, the arms GOare fulally connected at their lower ends to the rods 65 each of which passes throu a guideway 66 formed on the side o the frame 1 and iscquipp'ed with a cam roller a 67 on its inner end which engages in the groove formed on a cam wheel 68 mountedon the shaft 11. To limit the uppermost card in its raised position, the stop plate (39 is secured to the coven 58 directly above the opening 70 formed at the upper end-of the inner wall 71 of the magazine 47.

For-sorting. the cards, a plurality of receptacles 72 are rovided ina row, each receptacle -prefera rly containing two compart|nents 73 and 74, the compartments wing of the same number as the figurea in a single row of data of the' perforated cards and adapted to receive cards of correspondingdata -respectivel For this purpose, deflectors 7 5 are provided one disposed at the entrance of each of said com airtmeats. and connected b suitable mec ianism with the harm-7G eaci disposed nndel one of the pins 14 so that the-registration of a pin in a perforation of a card, thereby protruding through such card will engage the bar 70 disposed beneath it to actuate a deflector 75 connected with such '78. The rods 77 are of dill'erenl length.

the pair of rods 77 supporting the bar 76 nearest the receptacles 72 being the shortest. the next pair of rods 77 heing'longer and the remaining pairs of rods 77 ea h being-of a greater length than its preceding pair; this being for the purpose that" the pairs of rods can be connected to the shafts 80 disposed one above the other. The shafts 80 are journaled in the frame 1 adjacent to the receptacles 72 aml are each connected by a pair of links 81 with a pair of rods 77, then permost shaft 80 beingconnected with the s ortest air of rods 77, the next lower shaft 80 to t to next longer pair of rods 77, and the reiuainin shafts 80 to the remainiug pairs of rm 5 77 in a corresponding order so that the lowest shaft 80 will be connected to the longest pair of rods 77. Each of the shafts 80 (Fig. 1) is provided on its.

locking lever. is stepped and in a line with the stepped end of a shifting lever 82 which is connected with a deflector 75, each of the crnmed to the brackets 46 at 64 and pivotdeflector 75 and the next lower shifting lever 82 to'the deflector 75 next to the first named deflector and the rcmainingfshifting levers 82to'the remainin deflectors 75 in a corresponding order so t at the lowermost shifting lev'er.82 will be connected-to the farthest removed deflector 75-. Each of the links 83 is connected by a spring 84:, to the: frame of the receptacles 72. Thus when a bar 76 is depressed by a pin 14, the bar 76 in turn will rock its lockin lever 81' outof contact with a. shifting fiaver 82 thereby releasing such shifting lever 82 so that the spring 84 of the link 83 connected to such a ifting lever 82 will be ermitted to attract such link 83 'and t ereby rock the deflector 75 into-open osition. For returnever 82 being thus connected to the nearest in" the shifting'lever 2 so tha its deflector wil rock to non-deflecting position, each lever 82 is provided with a stop 85. These stops 85 are all arranged atsingle row one above the other and in the path of movena-nt of a bar 86 which is operatively ronnerted to the shifting rod 57 provided at its end with a cam roller 83 in engagement with a cam mounted on the shaft 11 whereby" in its order during a cycle of operation. the bar 8; will be moved to engage the stop of it released shifting bar 8'2 to return the deflector 75 connected thereto. in the meantime, the locking lever 81" which had released such shifting lever 82 will be released by its bar 76 so thatwhen the shifting lever 82'is returned to non-deflecting position, the locking lever 81' will be in position to receive the end of such shifting lever 82 and again lock the same.

The cards C (see Fig. 2) disposed in magazine 47' are maintained snugly against the wall 71 of the magazine 47 by a spring 89 preferably secured to the cover 58. After a. card is fed between the plates 12 and. 13 by the icker 62, it will be stopped in pro er position between such plates 1'2 and 13 )y a stop 90 secured to the upper end of a rod 91 pivotally connected to a lever 9;: which is fulcrumed at 93 to the frame 1 and has a cam roller 94 in engagement with the cam 95 mounted on the shaft 11, the cam being so timed that it will withdraw the stop after the pin-box has descended and thereby permit the card to be discharged by the rollers 96 to the rollers QTabove the receptacles 7'2 by-which rollers 97 a card will be advanced to the deflector?!) that has been dropped into the deflecting position;----

In each of the'eompartments 73 of the receptacles 72 there are disposed wires 98 properly looped so that when a card drops intov such compartment and strikes the deflecting plateJt) it will be turned over into proper position whereas when a card drops intoaeompartment T4 of a receptacle 72.it will be guided in the channel 100until it arrives at the inclined portion 101 and The arrangement is such that when a card which is 'faced upward when being f :d into the machine by the. picker from ti top ofa packof cards on theplatformby theipickerplate- 32, it will pass through the apparatus and drop into a. compartment 73 and face downward so that when the cards are-thereupon picked out of .a compartment theywiil he-iwthosame order when turned faeeupward as they were when disposed on the platform 'lhe-outwardly:extending portions 50 of the slots 49 are rovided so that whenthe card supply has been exhausted, or for any other purpose, it'is desired to lower the platformfiit, this maybe done by de :ressing.

- theleverfiTar-d thereupon when tie cross ba r 51 has arrived at the outwardly extending port ions 50, the outward pull on the rod 5* will draw-such cross bar 51 into the outsort wardly extending portions 50 and thereby hu'k the platform in depressed position until a fresh supply of cards has been intoiluctd or until whatever other object it was intended for had been accomplished.

It is obvious that various changes and modilirations may he made to the details of construction withoutdeparting from the general spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a sorting machine for sorting punched cards or the like, the combination of means for holding, the cards; a plurality of )ins adapted to engage the card thus heh so that a pin registering with a per- 30 foration in the card may pass therethrongh; and means for rendering inoperative any of said pins.

2.- In a. sorting machine for sorting punched cards or the like, the combination 35 of means for holding the cards; a plurality of pins adapted to engage the card thus held so that a pin registerm with a perforation in the card may pass tierethrough; means for rendering inoperative any of said pins; and sorting means adapted to be operatively affected by the pin passing through the: per-, foration.

b. In a'sorti'ng machine, the combination of pins adapted to engage the cards to be sorted so that the pin registering with a perforation in the curd being sorted may pass tlu-rethrough, and means for locking any of such pins in inoperative osition thereby to prevent data correspon ing to such locked pins from bein sorted.

4. In a sorting machine, t e combination. with aframe, pins adapted to engage the cards to be sorted so that the pin registering with a perforation in the card being 105 sorted may pass therethrough, and means for locking any of such pins in inoperative position thercb to'prevent data correspond- .mg to such 100 red pins from being sorted. thereby be turned into proper: positlon.

5. In'a sorting machine, the combination with a frame, a pin box movably mounted in said frame, pins siidably mounted in said pin box and adapted to engage the cards to be sorted so that the pin registerin with a perforation in the card bein sorte may pass therethrough, and means or locking any-of such pins in inoperative position thereby to prevent data corresponding to such locked pins from bein sorted.

6. In a. sorting machine, tie combination witha frame, a pin box frame movably mounted inv said first mentioned frame,

a carriage slidably mounted on said pin box frame, pins carried by said pin carriage and adapted to engage the cards 12: to be sorted so ,that the pin register- 1 ing with a perforation in the card. being may pass therethrough, and means for-loclring any of such pins in inoperatire position thereby to prevent data corre- 1 80 mending to such locked pin from being wrted.

7. In a sorting machine, the combination with a frame, a support in said frame for a the cards to be sorted, them being perforations in said support corrt'fipomiing to the figures of said card. said perforations being in rows, a pin box frame mm ably mounte in said first mentioned frame, a pin carriage slidably mounted in said pin box frame, a row of pins carried by said pin carriage and each provided with a lateral ing, the pin carriage being ada pted to traverse said support so that the pins of said carriage mav at it difl'erent times register with any one of the several rows of perforations in said support, and a block on said'carriage adjacent to .the path of movement of said pins having a recess therein in which the lu may be located by turning the pins there y to lock such ins in inoperative position.

8. n a sortin machine, thr'eombination with a frame, 0 a pin box frame movably mounted in said first mentioned frame, a

)in carriage slidably mounted on said pin ox frame, pins slidably mounted in saidpin carriage and adapted to engage the cards to be sorted so that the pin registerin with a-perforntion in the card bein sorte may pass therethrough, lugs on sai pins, and a )loel: on said carriage adjacent to the path of n..wemcnt of said pins having a recess therein in which the lugs may be locked by taming the pins thereby to iock such pins in inoperative position.

9. In a sortin machine, the combination with a frame, 0 a pin box frame movably mounted in said first mentioned frame, a

pin carriage slidably mounted on said pin )0): frame, pins slidably mounted in said pin carriage and ads ted to engage the cards to be sorted so that the pin registering with a perforation in the card being sorted may ass thcrethrough, lugs on said pins, a bloc on said carriage adjacent to the path of movement of said ins havin a recess therein in which the u s niay be locked by turning the pins there y to lock such ins in inoperative position, a retracting p ate on said carriage and heads on said -pins adapted to engage said retractinfi plate when in perforation rc istering position and adapted to be rostorer by such retracting plate'after having completed an operation. 1.0. Tn a sortin machine, the combination with a frame, 0 a pin box frame movably mounted in said first mentioned frame, a

pin carriage slidably mounted on said pin box frame, pins edidubly mounted in said pin carriage and adapted to engage the cards to be sorted so that the pin rcgisterin with a [wri'oratiou in the curd being sortc ma puss tln-rothrough. lugs on said pins, a bloc c on said carriage Iltijittt'llt to the path of movement of said pins having a recess therein in which the lugs may be locked by turning the pins thereby to lock such pins in inoierative position, a retracting (plate on sair carriage, heads on said pins a apted to engage said retracting plate when in perforation registering position and adapted to be restored by such retracting plate after havin completed an operation, and a. locking p ate reciprorably mounted on said rotractin'g plate and adapted to engage the heads of the descended pins and lock them in descended position so that upon a further movement of the pin box such locked pins will receive a positive actuating movement.

11. In a sorting machine, the combination with a frame, of a pin box frame movabiy mounted in said first mentioned frame, a

in oarriagoslidabiy mounted on said pin box frame, pins slidably mol'lnted in said pin carriage and adapted to engage the cards to be sortedso that the pin registerin with a perforation in the card being sortc may pass thcrcthrough, lugs on said pins, a block on said carriage adjacent to the path of movmncnt of said pins baring a recess therein in which the lugs may be looked by turning the pins thereby to lock such ins in lIiOKJttt-it't: position, a retracting p ate on sai carriage, heads on] said pins adapted to engage said retracting plate when in perforation registering position and.adapt/ed to be restored by such retracting plate after.

having completed an operation, a locking late rcciproeablv mounted on said retracting plate and adapted to engage the heads of the descended pins and lock them in descended position so that upon a further movement of the pin box such locked pins will receive. a positive-actuating movement, the heads being conieally shaped and the retracting, plate provided with recesses to receive such heads, the recesses being eupshaped to eoiiperate with the conical shape of such heads to properly guide them into position.

JAMES POWERS.

Witnesses:

Gos'rav Daaws, FRANK 'Facomm. 

